Amador County – Amador County Supervisors expect a budget shortfall next year but decided last week to try to help fund the “Save the Wheel Project,” donating $5,000 a year over three years.
Supervisors directed payment with contingency funds, to be offset by Supervisors’ individual “discretionary” recreation funds.
Jackson Councilman Keith Sweet, chairman of the Save the Wheel Committee, said the project needs to raise $700,000 to match state grants to build a wheelhouse around Kennedy Mine Tailing Wheel Number 4. Sweet asked Supervisors for $15,000, paid over three years. The city must finance the project, and incremental donations will repay the city.
Sweet said 1,100 mailers in February sought similar three-year pledges, and the donation balance last Tuesday was $14,400. Supervisor Brian Oneto asked about cost estimates of $265,000 to build the wheelhouse, $140,000 for engineering, design and environmental costs, and where the rest of the money would go. Sweet said the state accepted much of the 10-year-old environmental work done for a previous grant at the Wheel, but about $8,000 in analysis was required on the tailings.
Supervisor John Plasse, chairman of the Kennedy Mine Foundation, said “this project is good for the community,” and he will support it with his discretionary funds, and by personal donations. He voted on the project as a member of ACTC’s oversight board “not without some trepidation.” He said efforts to preserve the wheel “should be done as a community,” and he will add items to the benefit auction.
Plasse said $5,000 a year will not break the bank, but County Administrative Officer Chuck Iley probably was not happy to hear that, because Iley will have to lead the county in facing what they expect will be a $1.5 million to $2 million dollar budget shortfall next fiscal year.
Supervisor Ted Novelli said if Iley says this is a good project to carry forward, he would support it. He thought it would be good to preserve county history “for all the young children coming up.”
Supervisor Vice Chairman Richard Forster said “the county does keep the lion’s share” of local Transient Occupancy Tax, and the Wheelhouse project would be good for promoting county tourism. Supervisor Chairman Louis Boitano said Sierra Nevada Conservancy has money for such projects. He also suggested his preference of getting “south facing coverage on both wheels,” number 2 and 4, by building partial wheelhouses.
Oneto said the county next year could have trouble meeting basic services, and the wheelhouse would be cheaper if they could just go and build it. He said discretionary funds were $10,000 but were reduced to $5,000 each, and remain unfunded this year.
Sweet said it is a big project and a big building, and it will help preserve one of Amador County’s “iconic historical artifacts.”
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
